Certain cushioned chairs and sofas may be generally classified as loose-cushion seating. These cushioned chairs are generally considered as upholstered chairs. The upholstered chairs may only have upholstered cushions, or the entire seat may be upholstered.
Other cushioned chairs and sofas may be classified as tight seat, tight back or tight seat and back. In such a configuration, an upholstered seat is manufactured so that the seat cushion, the cushion on which the user sits, and/or the back cushion, the cushion provided behind a user's back, are attached, sewn onto or integrated in a fixed manner to the chair. The cushions of such a configuration are generally not removable.
In contrast, seats having a loose-back or loose-cushion design incorporate one or more seat cushions that can be shifted relative to, and removed from, the seating unit. These type seats also have one or more back cushions that can be shifted relative to, and removed from, the seating unit.
Many consumers prefer the “sit” comfort of loose-back seating units as compared to tight-back seats. However, the inventor has identified that loose-back seating units can provide insufficient lower-back support and can provide less than the optimal seating comfort, particularly after the user has been seated for an extended period of time.
Presently, users can, in some instances, somewhat address the problem of discomfort by readjusting the cushions upon which they may be sitting. Therefore, there is a need for a loose-cushion seating unit that does not require the user to readjust the cushions to remain comfortable over the duration of each use.
The sub-optimal lower-back support provided by some loose-back seats is at least partially caused by the phenomenon identified by the inventor and illustrated in FIG. 1. A conventional loose-back seat 100 is shown in FIG. 1. The seat 100 includes a frame 102, a seat cushion 104, and a back cushion 106. The cushions are not connected to the frame and are not connected to one another. When the user sits upon the seat 100, the force of their weight, illustrated by the arrow 108, presses down upon the seat cushion 104 and compresses the suspension mechanism, if present, in the seat frame. Friction between the back cushion 106 and the frame 102, or other forces, maintains the height of the back cushion 106 against the frame 102, resulting in a gap 110. The gap creates an area where the cushions are unable to support the user and sub-optimal comfort can result. Therefore there is a need for a way to reduce the gap between the cushions, without compromising the superior comfort benefits of a loose-back seating arrangement.